Positional Playbook: Kuzushi
The Art of Breaking Balance In Bjj
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Positional Playbook: Kuzushi
Kuzushi is quite possibly the most important element of grappling. While Kuzushi, is a Japanese term, it transcends Judo and Jiu-Jitsu.
As students dive into the grappling arts they quickly learn that their opponent will often defend well against the A to B attacks you attempt.
The trick is to create movements that cause responses from your opponent that you can then take advantage of.
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The Three Layers of Kuzushi
Kuzushi generally comes in three layers. These can be approached individually or in concert with one another. For example, a Collar Drag attacks both someone’s balance and their structure simultaneously. While a Foot Sweep on the other hand, would attack their balance but not the structure.
Balance - The ability to tilt someone’s center of gravity, shifting their weight from one leg to the other, or forcing your opponent to post, step, or react.
Structure - The ability to erode someone’s posture, frames, or alignment. Additional ways this looks is by creating angles that are hard to defend or stretch/compress their body.
Intention - The ability to make them react or respond in a way that’s most beneficial for you. Forcing your opponent to defend in a way that creates openings for yourself.
Why Your Techniques Fail Without It
If you can look back at the last time that your sweep, submission, or throw failed, it would almost certainly be due to the lack of Kuzushi. You initiated an attack without the most important ingredient of any one of your techniques.
You do not want to enter into a fair fight. Instead, you want the odds in your favor whenever possible.
Without the implementation of Kuzushi, we’re ultimately using strength and if my opponent is as strong or stronger than I am, it’s a fight that I will almost always lose.
Practical Application of Kuzushi On The Ground
When we attack with forms of Kuzushi, we can apply these from top or bottom, and in the standing or even on the ground.
From Guard - Hip shifts and off center grips and approaches.
From Top - Heavy punishing pressure that elicits an unfavorable response goes a long way.
Submissions - Initiating one submission knowing that you want another.
Chaining Kuzushi Together
If you get a chance, you should sit down and watch Judo or Wrestling competition and see how players in those sports initiate and ultimately finish their techniques. It’s rarely ever a singular technique or attack.
When they want a specific reaction, they initiate with the opposite.
When a player wants to attack low on the legs, they snap there opponent down. That action, causes their opponent to counter by pulling their head up, leaving the legs unguarded.
Similar things can happen within Jiu-Jitsu.
When I want the Kimura from Closed Guard, I might gain a Cross Collar Grip in an attempt to pull the head down, breaking their posture. They will naturally want to counter by posturing up. When they do, you can then respond with Hip Bump Sweep. If they post, they take the Kimura and so on.
Tapped In: A Jiu-Jitsu Podcast - E73 | Positional Playbook: Kuzushi
Final Thoughts
If you can understand the act of breaking balance through attacks, and the push/pull actions, quite a bit of your time in Jiu-Jitsu gets just a bit easier.
Be kind to yourself and experiment. While in the positions you find yourself in most, try to push, then pull, attack, then withdraw and see how your training partners respond.
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David Figueroa-Martinez
Founder, DFM Coaching
Coach | Writer | Grappler
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